The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly could modify conflict of interest policy

Mitch Borden/KMXT

The Kodiak Island Borough policy concerning conflict of interest has been discussed a lot over the past few months. Tonight, at the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly regular meeting some clarification may be reached on the subject.

Assemblywoman Rebecca Skinner wrote an ordinance to define the term “substantial financial interest” in the borough’s code. The phrase is at the heart of the borough’s conflict of interest policy, but its meaning isn’t outlined.

“Rebecca Skinner tried to just define substantial financial interest and to include essentially an ordinance portion that would exclude people who had jobs from dealing with issues that came before the assembly where their employer was involved.”

Assemblyman Scott Smiley co-authored an alternative proposal to Skinner’s ordinance with Assemblyman Andrew Schroeder. Their ordinance details how the assembly should determine if there is a potential conflict among its members. It also says what is and isn’t a substantial financial interest.

“Ours is one that focuses on the financial part and how one determines whether or not there is a substantial financial interest that is of a sufficient magnitude to have presiding officer exclude the person from dealing with the issue.”

Smiley says he and Schroeder based their proposal on the policy used by Sitka and other communities across Alaska. Smiley thinks clarifying the borough’s policy will help residents better understand how these issues are handled.

“In the past, there have been complaints about people voting on issues on the assembly when they had a dog in the fight more or less. Under some circumstances, those  complaints were justified. Under other circumstances, those complaints aren’t justified.”

KMXT reached out to Assemblywoman Skinner about the differences between the two ordinances, but she didn’t respond by the time this story was aired. There will be a public hearing on the ordinance tonight at the assembly’s regular meeting, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the assembly chambers at the borough building.

After the hearing, the assembly can choose to vote on either of the ordinances concerning the conflict of interest policy.

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